Larry and Elaine Hamilton of Sharonville, Ohio, spend their afternoon looking at the Delta Queen, on Oct. 21, 2008. At the time, the boat was docked at Cincinnati’s public landing for what was assumed to be the last time. Enquirer file

Melissa Janson of Covington stands in front of the Delta Queen as Delta Queen supporters rallied to save the steamboat on May 5, 2008 at the National Steamboat Monument. Janson's boyfriend, junior engineer Robert Taylor, worked on the boat at the time. The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran

The Delta Queen slipped quietly into the Madison, Indiana, harbor in a pre-dawn hour on Oct. 16, 2003, on its way to the Tall Stacks Music, Arts & Heritage Festival in Cincinnati the next day. Enquirer file

The U.S. House of Representatives has decided the fate of the historic Delta Queen Steamboat and it means Cincinnati's beloved ship may once again come home, at least temporarily.

The U.S. House of Representatives reinstated an exemption to allow the Delta Queen Steamboat to return to service two years after the bill was passed by the Senate. The legislation will grant a 15-year exemption to rules covering wooden ships such as the Delta Queen.

The 1966 Safety at Sea law prohibits wooden ships of a certain size – such as the Delta Queen – from carrying passengers on overnight trips. Granting exemptions was a standard practice until 2008, according to the lawmakers.

Once signed into law by the president, major repairs will begin to allow the Delta Queen to return to overnight service, according to the ship's owners.

“A remarkable piece of the nation’s maritime history is reborn,” vice president and chief operating officer of the Delta Queen Steamboat Company Leah Ann Ingram said. “Since 2010, restoring and returning her to overnight service has been our mission. Today, we’re thrilled to take the next step to welcoming explorers and history enthusiasts aboard this floating piece of history.”

The Delta Queen, owned by Delta Queen Steamboat Company in Kimmswic, Missouri, will start themed voyages will operate on the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, Kanawha and Arkansas rivers in 2020.

“Preserving the boat’s historic integrity and ensuring passenger safety are our priorities. With this approval, we may now move forward with our renovations and return her the waterways, where she belongs," president and CEO of the Delta Queen Steamboat Company Cornel Martin said.

The Delta Queen is a National Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. The steamboat is also included in the National Maritime Hall of Fame and was named a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The Delta Queen carried three presidents up and down the Mississippi River: Herbert Hoover, Harry Truman and Jimmy Carter. Ingram also said when renovations are complete and the boat is docked in Mississippi, it will create nearly 170 jobs and could have $36 million in economic influence.

Through the years, bills have been introduced in both houses of Congress by Sen. Rob Portman; Sen. Sherrod Brown; Rep. Steve Chabot; and representatives from Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana.

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The Delta Queen began service May 20, 1927, in California. It is deemed the last steamboat of its kind with a wooden superstructure accommodating passengers on overnight river cruises.

After a brief period of service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, the vessel was sold as war surplus to Capt. Tom Greene, who owned Greene Line Steamers in Cincinnati. The vessel was located in Cincinnati from 1946 until 1985. It was in New Orleans until 2008.